Don’t blame ocean carriers and bigger container ships for congestion at key ports; blame insufficient investment in equipment, dredging and automation at U.S. marine terminals, speakers said at the 15th annual TPM Conference in Long Beach.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Federal Highway Administration are seeking public comments on their draft environmental impact statement on a cross-harbor barge or tunnel for the movement of trucks, containers or railcars.

WASHINGTON — A group opposing the reconstruction of a CSX Transportation tunnel in a Washington D.C. terminal that would allow the railroad to double-stack containers has filed a lawsuit challenging a federal decision to let the project proceed.

A South African firm’s decision last month to build an $8.1 billion plant in Louisiana that will triple its chemical production capacity in the U.S. underscores widespread growth in U.S. chemicals manufacturing and in supporting logistics and transportation services.

The Federal Highway Administration has approved a preferred construction alternative for CSX’s Virginia Avenue Tunnel project, paving the way for the 110-year-old, 4,000-foot tunnel to be reconstructed for double-stacking container services after intense pushback from local residents.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Ca., thinks shippers are so frustrated with freight bottlenecks on the U.S. highway network that they’re willing to fork over more money for national infrastructure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Trucking Associations is urging the U.S. Senate to pass a shorter “short-term patch” to the Highway Trust Fund than that approved by the House of Representatives earlier this month and then quickly move to finding a long-term funding solution.